Tony Blair phoned Rupert Murdoch the day before Britain went to war in Iraq
but was not given any “secret messages of support for the war”, the Leveson
Inquiry has heard.

Mr Blair’s call on March 19 2003, was one of three he made to Mr Murdoch in the eight days before the British offensive in Iraq began.

But the media tycoon denied as “speculation” earlier evidence to the inquiry from Paul Dacre, the editor of the Daily Mail, that Mr Blair could not have gone to war without the “implacable support” of Mr Murdoch’s newspapers. Mr Murdoch said he “favoured the war” and so did the editors of his titles. But he added: “What I am sure about is that I would not in any telephone call have conveyed a secret message of support for the war; the NI titles’ position on Iraq was a matter of public record before March 11 2003.”

The inquiry heard that in 1994 Mr Murdoch met Mr Blair at a private dinner in a Belgravia club. According to a book by the journalist Andrew Neil, Mr Murdoch said of Mr Blair afterwards: “Well, he certainly says all the right things, but we’re not letting our pants down just yet.” Robert Jay QC, counsel to the inquiry, asked him if it was the “sort of thing he might have said”. “Yes,” said Mr Murdoch.

He was also asked about an occasion in 1995 when Mr Blair spoke at a conference in Australia at his behest.

Mr Jay said: “You said this, apparently: 'If our flirtation is ever consummated, Tony, then I suspect we will end up making love like porcupines: very, very carefully.’ Did you say that?” “I might have,” replied Mr Murdoch.